CASA chief offers condolences to Turkish crash families

CASA chief offers condolences to Turkish crash families

ISTANBUL, May 19 (AFP) - 14:08 GMT - The head of Spain's aircraft manufacturer CASA on Saturday sent condolences to the families of 38 people killed when the company's cargo planes were involved in two fatal crashes in Turkey in the space of three days.
He also said the company saw no reason for the moment to suspend other flights by its planes elsewhere in the world.

"I am here today to present my condolences to the families," CASA chief Alberto Fernandez said at a joint televised news conference with Kaya Ergenc, president of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), at the TAI headquarters in Ankara.

"Everybody's heart is broken, both at TAI and at EADS-CASA," he said.

On Wednesday a CN-235 military aircraft crashed in a violent storm near the eastern city of Akcadag, killing all 34 people on board in the country's worst-ever military air accident.

Then, on Friday, even as funeral ceremonies were being held for the victims of the first crash, another CN-235 came down near Ankara, killing three Spaniards and a Turk.

Fernandez said he could not explain the accidents, preferring "not speculate, but let the experts finish their work and present their conclusions." He did not say when their report was expected.

"There is no reason, at this stage, to stop flights of other (CASA) planes flying throughout the world," he said.

"At this stage there is no indication that the plane has any problem whatsoever, but we must wait for the end of the investigation," he said.

He said the CN-235 "has flown more than a million hours in more than 15 years, establishing a record for safety."

Turkey is one of CASA's biggest customers. Between 1991 and 1998 Turkey's armed forces purchased about 50 CN-235s, which were assembled in Turkey. Turkey's military ordered nine more of the cargo planes last year.
AFP